Q&A: Lessons from Moncur’s Summer Interns

Moncur’s Summer Internship Program gave two emerging creatives, Morgan (Copywriting) and Tess (Design), the chance to dive into our client work, collaborate with our team, and shape an original campaign aimed at future interns.

Professional Growth & Skills 

Q: In what ways did your experience push you out of your comfort zone? 

M: I came in expecting a typical intern experience with minimal creative input and constant oversight, so I mentally prepared to contribute less than I wanted to. But when my mentor, Megan, introduced the campaign and explained the level of creative freedom Tess and I would have, I was both overwhelmed and excited. That freedom challenged me to create a campaign that felt unique, cohesive, and something I’m truly proud of. 

T: I try hard to push myself out of my comfort zone. However, while working on this campaign, I was granted a high level of creative freedom, without a ton of guard rails around what I could do with it. This project challenged me not only to try something completely outside of my experience, but also to come up with the direction all by myself (and with Morgan, of course).  

Q: How has this internship prepared you for the next step in your career? 

M: My next goal is to land a full-time role as a copywriter. Before this, most of what I had to show was academic work and freelance writing projects. Now I have our entire internship campaign that I can point to and say, “Here’s what we built in six weeks.” I know it’ll help open doors and show potential employers what I’m capable of. 

T: There’s a huge difference between learning how to do something in a classroom, or via online tutorial. This seems obvious but, I didn’t fully realize how true this was until I had this experience and felt the difference in my own workflow and thinking.  The hands-on experience I’ve gained during my time here creates a delta between me and my peers and propels me further along my path to holding a full-time job in my field post-graduation.  

Q: What is the biggest example of how this internship helped you grow or evolve as a professional? 

M: This experience gave me a mix of hard and soft skills I’ll carry with me. I became more familiar with industry tools and platforms, gained valuable pieces for my portfolio, and had the chance to sharpen skills like collaboration, problem-solving, and strategic thinking. It gave me an entry point into an industry that can feel tough to break into. 

T: Interning at Moncur gave me insight I previously lacked into how an agency works, and the myriad ways I could fit into that structure. I got to see the gritty day-to-day task completion, meetings, and review processes that I hadn’t glimpsed before.  Even more than that, these past months I’ve gotten to live and breathe design day in day out. I can see and feel the tangible improvement in my work from simply being submerged in it every day. 

Collaboration & Culture 

Q: In what capacity did your mentor(s) impact your experience? 

M: Megan, Moncur’s Creative Director and Content Lead, played a major role in shaping my internship. Our weekly one-on-ones were always thoughtful and supportive. She gave me space to ask questions, helped guide my work, and genuinely wanted to make sure I got what I hoped for out of this experience. She created an environment that felt both approachable and motivating. She set the bar incredibly high for what mentorship can look like, and I hope other interns get someone like her in their corner. 

T: My primary mentor during my internship was Kim; each week we would meet just to talk over what I was doing and how things were going. In addition, every two weeks I shadowed a different member of the design team, and got to sit in on meetings, work alongside or under them on projects and assignments, and just see how they worked. These mentors introduced me to so many processes and tools I had never touched before, taking the time to not only help me but also provide resources and opportunities to practice.  

Q: What part of the agency culture stood out to you the most? 

M: What surprised me was just how much collaboration and revision go into every project, especially in a B2B setting. Finalizing work takes time and input from people across teams. Clients often come in unsure of what their brand should be, and it’s Moncur’s job to help uncover that and present it in a way that resonates. I saw how much thought and back-and-forth that process involves. Attending client meetings helped me understand the complexity of B2B work and how every person contributes to the bigger picture. 

T: I view feedback as extraordinarily important to any kind of work, but creative work especially.  I came into this internship hoping to gain feedback that I could use to improve myself and my work, so I was incredibly pleased to find that feedback is a huge part of the working culture at Moncur. As a result, working at Moncur felt like getting a glimpse at a well-oiled, smoothly run machine, with each gear seamlessly fitting together with the next.  

Q: What’s one piece of advice or feedback that really stuck with you? 

M: One piece of advice that stuck with me came from Megan, when she walked me through how to approach client interviews. She emphasized the importance of keeping the conversation natural and not making it feel like an interrogation. You’re trying to uncover the insight that can shape a brand’s message, and doing that well requires listening, empathy, and curiosity.  

T: Apply what makes you different to your work. Given the knowledge of how to perform a task, which these days is largely accessible, anyone can put together a generic design. Putting together a slide deck isn’t special. Even making it look fancy isn’t special either. Making exceptional designs is all about applying your individual perspective to your work to make something unique, that only you could make.  

Personal Reflection 

Q: What did you learn about yourself as a creative throughout this process? 

M: I learned how important research is to me—before even thinking about starting to write for an audience, I wanted to do as much of my own research as possible. Especially with this internship campaign, it was important for me to look deeper into our audience and recognize their pain points: What are future interns looking for? What do they not want? That’s just as important as what they do want. Even if I didn’t use every aspect of my research, it was important to have, because I’m essentially the bridge connecting Moncur with its future interns.   

T: My mentor, Kim, pointed out that I was frequently challenging known ideas and bringing up unconsidered angles to situations. Considering new angles as possible and productive is something I’ve always done, but I had never thought of that as a standout trait. It was nice to learn that, at least at Moncur, the team appreciated my eye for detail. Another example of how feedback and improvement is important to the culture! 

Q: What piece of advice would you pass down to future interns? 

M: Do what you can to get the most out of this experience. You have so many professionals and resources available to you, especially with the one-on-one learning sessions, and you can customize this experience to exactly what you hope to get out of it. That’s extremely valuable and hard to find. They set you up for success and give you everything you need; you just have to be willing to use them. 

T: Go to every meeting on your calendar; participate in every project you’re invited to; take advantage of every opportunity to the fullest. The time you spend here will pass anyway—spend it in a way that yields you the best experience and chances to learn. 

Q: What did you learn that you think will most impact your career?  

M: Writing for different audiences. Learning to adjust tone and language depending on who you’re speaking to is essential in this field, and I had plenty of opportunities to work on that. It’s something I’ll keep building on, and I know it will serve me well. 

T: I knew that I loved this work. I certainly would not be pursuing the education I am without knowing that. But loving the work doesn’t mean that the work is for me—another example of how practice isn’t the same as the real thing. I didn’t think this would be the case, but there was always a chance that I got out into the world and hated working a creative job. Safe to say it was nice to get confirmation that this work is for me. Every day, every project was fulfilling.  

Morgan and Tess left their mark on Moncur—and took plenty with them in return. Their reflections are a testament to the value of being trusted, challenged, and supported in a professional setting that values growth. 

Interested in joining us? Learn more about internships at Moncur and how you can bring your talents to the team.